Timepiece with automatic winding



1942- s. PELLATON 2,292,475

TIMEPIECE WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING Filed 001,. 7,1940

Patented Aug. 11, 1942 TIMEPIECE WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING BenjaminPellaton, Grenchen, Switzerland, as-

signor to the firm Eterna S.-A., Grenchen, Switzerland, a. joint-stockcompany of Switzerland Application October 7, 1940, Serial No. 360,173In Switzerland September 12, 1939 1 Claim.

This invention relates to timepieces having a swinging member forautomatic winding. It has been found that the position of this member inthe interior of the watch is not inconsequent to the operation of theautomatic winding mechanism. The rapidity of winding is greatlyinfluenced by the amplitude and the active force of the oscillations ofthis member and tests have proved that this active force and theamplitude reach their maximum values if the swinging member oscillatespractically at the same distance on both sides of the stem.

An object of the invention is therefore, to provide a swinging memberwhich oscillates practically at the same distance on both sides of thestem.

A further object is to place all the parts necessary for the windingunder a single auxiliary cock which allows of the adaptation of theautomatic winding mechanism to existing calibers without changing theselatter.

Another object is to provide, between the pin 7 ion of the swingingmember and the winding ratchet, a single movable part on whose shaft atoothed segment is loosely mounted meshing the pinion of the member andcarrying a pawl engaging, at one direction of rotation of the segmentonly, a great wheel forming an element of said movable part.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig.1 is a top view of an embodiment of the timepiece and Fig. 2 is asection IIIIIIIVV of Fig. 1.

A swinging member 3 is fixed to a steel plate 5 by means of an arm 4,said member being adapted to oscillate in the annular space 2 providedon the plate I. The steel plate 5 is riveted onto the pinion 6 driven bythe swinging member 3 once in the one and once in the other direction.

On the one side this pinion 6 is pivotally mounted on the cook of thecenter wheel, which cock, for this purpose, is provided with a steelplate I and, on the other side, on an auxiliary cock 8 mounted on thecock of the center wheel. Besides, this cock 8 carries the upper bearingof a movable part the great wheel 9 of which is a ratchet wheel and thepinion 10 of which engages the winding ratchet I I that is, the wheelwhich is fixed to the shaft of the barrel in a well-known manner.

A toothed segment I2 loosely mounted on the shaft of the movable part 9,I0 meshes pinion 6 and carries a pawl I3 engaging the teeth of taken online wheel 9. A second pawl l4, pivoted on a stationary portion of themovement, under the effect of a spring I5, engages the ratchet wheel 9.

The swinging member 3 is disposed in such a way in relation to the stem16 of the wrist-watch illustrated, that, when the wrist of the wearer isin its most frequent position, this member is in the zero position(symmetry axis) of the possible pendulous motion. The most frequentposition of the wrist carrying the watch is that of the forearm hangingslightly forward. In this position the stem of the watch lies slightlyforward and downward. In other words: In the described position of thewrist, preferably of the left wrist, the symmetry axis of the pendulousmotion, seen from the side of the dial, is turned to the left withregard to the stem by about the angle between the perpendicular positionand the position of the forearm.

The winding is carried out in the same way as in all watches of thiskind: The oscillations of the member 3 are transmitted to the centralpinion 6, from here to the toothed segment I2 which is coupled with themovable part 9, 10 by means of the pawl l3, but in one direction ofrotation only. The movements of the movable part 9, ID are transmittedto the spring of the barrel by means of the pinion Ill and the windingratchet l I. The winding position acquired is maintained by the pawl I4.

In the construction represented the whole winding mechanism is held inthe timepiece by means of the cock 8 which also carries the buffersprings for the swinging member. On removing this cock the wholemechanism is accessible. This greatly facilitates the mounting andrepairing and allows of the adaptation of the automatic windingmechanism to existing calibers.

What I claim is:

In a wrist-watch, a winding ratchet, an automatic mechanism adapted todrive said winding ratchet, comprising a pivotally mounted pinion, aswinging member fixed to said pinion in such a way that it lies in thezero position of its pendulous motion when the wrist of the wearer, inits turn, is in its most frequent position, a rotatable shaft, a furtherpinion fixed to said shaft, adapted to engage said winding ratchet, agreat wheel fixed to said shaft, a toothed segment loosely mounted onsaid shaft and adapted to engage said pivotally mounted pinion, and apawl on said toothed segment, adapted to cooperate with said great wheeland effective to drive the latter in one direction of rotation only.

BENJAMIN PELLATON.

